An Informative Guide To Smart Pools – Is It Worth The Upgrade?
Maintaining a traditional pool is no easy task. It requires owners to pay attention to their pools throughout the year, which can be difficult for people who have to travel frequently. To make things easier for themselves, many pool owners across Australia are upgrading their traditional pools and transforming them into smart pools.
Smart pools rely on automation to make pool maintenance easier than ever before. The best thing about them is that they’re not very expensive anymore. As the demand for smart pools has soared in recent years, numerous companies are offering a wide range of automated pool systems at competitive prices.
So, if what you’ve read so far has captured your attention, read on! In this guide, we’ll take you through everything you need to know about smart pools and whether upgrading your traditional pool is worth it in the long run.
What can you upgrade?
A wide variety of automated solutions can be implemented to upgrade your conventional pool to a smart pool. In this section, we’ll take a closer look at what they are and how they work.
1. Central management system
Smart pools are controlled via a central management system that acts as a control panel. You can control all the other automated features that you incorporate into your pool via this central management system. Previously, when smart pools were only in their nascent stages, this control panel used to be a separate entity that had to be installed in a pool owner’s home.
However, times have changed, and today, downloadable software allows owners to access the features from their mobile devices. This facilitates greater freedom and flexibility, as owners can control the functioning of various aspects of the pool without being physically present at home.
While there are several options that you can consider in terms of a central management system for your smart phone, it’s important that you choose a solution from a reputed name. When it comes to reputed pool specialists, the costs may be on the higher side, but you can rest assured that you’ll get what you’ve paid for.
Also, high-end management systems are dynamic and you can expect frequent upgrades from the specialists that ensure that the system keeps up the pace with ever-changing technologies. For example, many top-notch pool management systems can now be synced with smart home devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Alexa, facilitating hands-free access and use.
2. Automated salt chlorinators
Maintaining the proper pH balance is vital for not just your pool, but also for all the components located inside the pool, such as the pump and the heater. Simply put, the pH level of your pool is indicative of its acidity. If the level is below 7.0, your pool water is acidic, and if it’s above 8.0, it indicates that the water is alkaline or basic. The ideal pH level should be somewhere around 7.4 – 7.6, which indicates a fine balance between alkalinity and acidity.
When the pH level is right, your pool water will sparkle and you can also expect pool components to stay in tip-top shape for a long time to come. Low pH levels are something that you’d want to avoid at all costs, as they can irritate the skin, the hair and the eyes by stripping the body of all its natural oils.
On the other hand, a high pH level reduces the effectiveness of chlorine that’s present in the pool water. You may end up in a situation where you’re spending a handsome amount of money on chlorine without enjoying any of its benefits.
An automated salt chlorinator can be tasked with monitoring the pH level of your pool water. If it detects any abnormalities, it can add certain chemicals to stabilize the pH level, ensuring clean and healthy water for you and your family to bathe in. While an automated salt chlorinator may be expensive, in the long run, it will save you a lot of money in terms of buying a variety of pool chemicals.
3. Automated pool pumps
Pool pumps are responsible for circulating the pool water to ensure a certain degree of algae and bacteria resistance, and they are among the most important pool components. However, pool owners have often complained regarding the high energy costs associated with the frequent use of conventional pool pumps.
To cut costs, many pool owners tend to run their pool pumps infrequently, leading to gradual algae and bacteria growth. Not running your pool pump as required will also require you to spend more on chemicals to cleanse the pool water.
Automated pool pumps are wonderful alternatives to the traditional pool pump. Thanks to sensors, they can automatically tell when your pool water needs to be circulated. As a result, they will run for as long as they are supposed to – not any less and not any more.
In the long run, an automated pool pump can help you to drastically cut down on your energy expenses (almost up to a whopping 85 percent).
4. Self-cleaning systems
Manually cleaning a pool can take ages, especially if you’ve got a big pool. From scrubbing the pool from awkward angles and positions using long hoses to deploying nets to fish out debris, the manual cleaning process is quite arduous.
To make things easier, you have the option of self-cleaning systems that feature state-of-the-art technology. This technology thoroughly cleans pool water and leaves no trace of dirt, dust, and debris. These self-cleaning systems may be available in a wide variety of configurations.
For example, there are systems that feature nozzles that are installed at the pool’s bottom. They scrub surfaces and push debris out of the pool via the drain by cleaning every inch of the pool. These systems rely on water jets to get the job done.
Numerous robotic cleaners are available as well, which allow pool owners to schedule cleaning tasks. These robotic cleaners are armed with advanced AI and features that allow them to perform their cleaning duties in each area of the pool.
5. Smart switches for lighting
If you’re hosting a party in your backyard in the evening, you’d want your pool to be all lit up. Apart from allowing all the people to take a dip if they want, a well-lit pool also adds to the ambience of a post-sunset gathering. So, your pool should definitely have a lighting system.
Both manual and smart lighting systems are available for purchase. While manual lighting systems require the switches to be switched on and off for operating the lights, smart lighting systems feature smart switches, which can be operated using your mobile devices.
Apart from these 5 automated smart pool solutions, you can also choose automated pool heating and cover options. If money is no object for you, you can add a variety of smart technologies at once. However, if you’re operating on a tight budget, we’d recommend adding smart technologies one by one. Start with the pool pump and cleaning systems and gradually add the other features.
All in all, we’d highly recommend you to invest in smart pool solutions. Not only would they make pool maintenance easier and more convenient for you – they’d also reduce long-term expenses associated with the upkeep of your pool and its components.
